19(i JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



'the question and that they expressed their real sentiments in so doing. 



We must not fail to bear in mind that the total vote cast at the 

 time the report was under consideration was fully as great as that cast 

 at the average annual election and the failure of an appreciable por- 

 tion of the membership to express an opinion on the matter is in ac- 

 cordance with past procedure. It is unfortunate that the member- 

 ship as a whole does not exercise its voting privilege. If any of you 

 can offer a satisfactory solution of the problem, I am sure it will be 

 greatly appreciated by the officers and the Executive Council of the 

 Society. 



The Society has expressed itself on the first real issue that has 

 been before it and it now remains for your officers to put into action 

 the will of the Society. This, I hope, will be done in the near future. 



The past year has seen a marked increase in the membership of the 

 Society and there are, I believe, a relatively large number of names 

 now under consideration by the Executive Council. The campaign 

 for members should be actively continued until the Society embraces 

 within its membership a large per cent of the foresters of the country. 

 I have had occasion recently to compile data regarding forest school 

 graduates in this country. I find that more than 2,000 degrees have 

 been granted in forestry in the United States during the last twenty 

 years. There is reason to believe that fully 60 per cent of these men 

 are engaged in forestry or closely allied lines and are eligible for 

 membership. 



The Society needs these men and I am svire they will derive much 

 benefit from membership in the Society. Let each member therefore 

 do what he can to bring before the Executive Council the names of all 

 those who are eligible. In this work, the various Sections should be 

 the leaders. 



Mr. Dana as Chairman of the Committee on Admissions of the 

 Executive Council has performed his task most painstakingly and 

 well, and to him our thanks are due, because the work of preparing 

 and circulating the data on names proposed for membership requires 

 much time. 



My pers'onal conviction is that in the end it will prove more satis- 

 factory for the Society to elect new members either at semi-annual or 

 annual periods only, preferably the latter. This will give ample time 

 to prepare the credentials and, I think, will prove a more satisfactory 

 plan than the present scheme of passing on men whenever a reasonable 

 number of candidates have been proposed. 



